Detecting and sorting device for high speed incandescent lamp finishing machine



Feb. 2l, 1961 D, MULLAN ET AL 2,972,409

DETECTING AND SORT'ING DEVICE FOR HIGH SPEED INCANDESCENT LAMP FINISHING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 12, 1954 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2l, 1961 D. MULLAN ETAL ECTING AND S DET ORTING DEVICE FOR HIGH SPEED INCANDESCENT LAMP FINISHING MACHINE l2, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug.

D. MULLAN ET AL 2,972,409

Feb. 21, 1961 DETECTING AND SORTING DEVICE FOR HIGH SPEED INCANDESCENT LAMP FINISHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Aug. l2, 1954 m jz w I m l J2? F165 2217 'w 314 w Jz @15 w l I L' azz ggf va I zz Feb. 2l, 1961 D. MULLAN E-r Al.

DETECTINGAND soRTING DEVICE FOR HIGH .SPEED INCANDESCENT LAMP FINISHING MACHINE 5 sheets-sheet 4 original Filed Aug. 12, 1954 FIG 6 4mm/VE Feb. 21, 1961 D. MULLAN ET AL 2,972,409

DETECTING AND SORTING DEVICE FOR HIGH SPEED INCANDESCENT LAMP FINISHING MACHINE Original Filed Aug. 12, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 DETECTING AND SORTING DEVICE FOR HIGH INCANDESCENT LAMP VFINISHING MA- Daniel Mullan, Hillside, and Edward Zilahy, Nutley, NJ., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Aug. 12, 1954, Ser. No. 449,482. 'and this application .lune 14, 1955, Ser. No.

Claims. (Cl. 209-81) This invention relates to lamp-making machines and, more particularly, to one adapted to automatically manufacture lamps at Ahigh production speed. g

An object of our invention, generally considered, is to automatically assemble the parts of a lamp, unite them, test the lamps, and more particularly to separate the good lamps from the bad. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the'description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the group of machines embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line II--ll of Fig. l0, in the direction of the arrows, showing the mechanism at station 69 where good lamps are discharged.

Fig. 3 is a detailed front elevational view of one of the links of the basing machine conveyor chain, illustrated in transverse section in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. l, particularly showing the alignment means with its levers and linkage at station 2. n.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the flashing'or seasoning mechanism, with parts in section on the line V-V of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on'the line VIl---VII of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view showing the grounded member of the flashing circuit, with parts in section on the line VIII- VIII of Fig. V5,in the direction o-f the finished lamp, to load an unfinished lamp for processing,-

and to hold an unfinished lamp during the final alignment for processing, with parts in section on the line X--X of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 1l is a wiring diagram.

Fig. 12 is a chart indicating the sequence of operation of the switches of Fig. 11.

First referring to the diagrammatic plan of Fig. 1, it will be observed that the equipment consists of the following mechanism voperated by a single motor, or other prime mover, through shafts connected by gears and other means tocause the various parts of the mechanism to operate in synchronism to automatically assemble lamp parts, bake the basing cement, remove the excess portions of the leads, flux, solder, season and separately eject the good and bad finished lamps from the machine, as an improvement over the use of separate machines for performing the various operations, and the manual transfer of parts or lamps between such machines:

(1) A dual rail gravity bulb chute, which We designate by the reference character 31.

(2) A bulb transfer mechanism 32 between the chute 31 and a sealing machine 33.

(3) A sealing machine 33.

(4) Automatic conveyor mechanism 34 for transferring mounts to a loading turret 35, which feeds them to the sealing machine 33.

(5) A loading turret 35. L

(6) Mechanism 36 for transferring sealed bulbs from the sealing machine 33 to an exhaust machine 37.

(7) An exhaust machine 37 for receiving the sealed bulbs from the transfer mechanism 36.

(8) A transfer mechanism 38 for moving vthe lamps from the exhaust machine 37 to a lead wire straightening conveyor 39. Y

(9) A lamp conveyor 39 receiving the sealed, exhausted and tipped lamps from the transfer mechanism 38.

(10) Pour lead-wire prepositioning devices, generally designated 40, located along the conveyor 39.

(11) A transfer mechanism or turret 41 for receiving lamps from the conveyor 39 and inserting them into bases positioned on a b-ase threading turret 43.

(12) Base-feeding mechanism 42.

(13) An automatic base-threading machine or turret 43, receiving lamps from the transfer device 41 and bases from the base conveyor 42, and uniting said parts.

(14) A transfer and turnover mechanism 44 for transporting base-threaded lamps from machine 43 to the basing machine 45.

(15) A seventy-two head conveyor-type basing machine 45, receiving lamps in associated bases from the Brief description of operations Briefly, the sequence of operations of the machine, the sub-combinations of which have been identied, is as follows. An operator transfers Lulbs from shipping cartons o-r the like to the gravity dual-rail bulb feeder 31, which guides them toward and into the pockets of the bulb transfer turret 32. The bulb turret 32, indexing clockwise, conveys each bulb, one by one, to a station where it is monogrammed, and thence to a station where each is transferred to the thirty-six head sealing machine 33.

The mounts are fabricated from component parts, as on an automa-tic stem and mounting machine (not shown), and the completed mounts automatically transferred to within reach of an operator. The operator inspects such mounts and transfers the good ones to the conveyor mechanism 34, from whence they are automatically transferred to the mount-loading turret 35. The mount-loading Y turret, indexing clockwise, as viewed inFig. l, conveys the mounts one by one to a station where their lead-wires and stem presses are prepositioned. From this station, the mounts are conveyed to a station where they are automatically transferred .to a. sealing spindle on the sealing machine 33.

The sealing machine 33 is equipped with thirty-six sealing heads, each consisting of a sealing spindle which supports a mount, and a holder which supports a bulb. Indexing counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. l, it conveys the mount-loaded heads toward the bulb-loading station, and on around through several stations, each equipped with burners appropriately directed toward a bulb in a holder at its place of engagement with a mount to assure 3 proper amalgamation to the nare of said mount and the severance of the cullet from the bulb. The sealed bulb is thereafter subjected to the action of a molding device which accurately forms a shoulder at a prescribed dis tance above the sealed end of each bulb, and then passes through several bulb-annealing stations to one where the sealed bulb is automatically removed from its head by the transfer mechanism 36. A mount detector device, operated in conjunction with the bulb transfer Iturret 32, prevents bulbs being loaded onto sealing heads which have not received mounts.

The exhaust machine 37 is equipped with thirty-six exhaust ports and indexes counter-clockwise. Located between the sealing machine 33 and the exhaust machine 37 is the transfer mechanism 36 which unloads each sealed bulb from its sealing head and loads it into an exhaust port. A second transfer mechanism 38 unloads each exhausted and tipped-off lamp from an exhaust port and loads it onto the lamp conveyor 39. The conveyor 39 is equipped with mechanism, generally designated 40, which preposition the remote lead wires of the lamps preparatory to automatic assembly with lamp bases.

The base feeding mechanism 42 conveys bases, pre- -lled with cement, to the base-threading turret or machine 43, which indexes counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. l. This machine is equipped with devices to assure proper seating of each base in its holder and that each base has an unobstructed eyelet. A transfer turret 41 is equipped 'with vacuum pick-up cups and indexes clockwise, as

viewed in Fig. l. Each vacuum cup picks up a lamp from conveyor 39 and lowers it into a base at a station directly opposite and on the base-threading machine or turret 43. The based lamp in turret 43 is indexed to a station where it is automatically picked up by a transfer device 44 and loaded into a head of the basing machine 45. The basing machine is equipped with the necessary cement-baking fires, base air-cooling jets, and lead-wire-positioning, trimming, lluxing and soldering devices. The basing machine 45 is also equipped with the necessary lamp-seasoning and inspection facilities, as well as with a device to separate defective lamps from good ones.

vIn the present application, the specific description and claims are directed to the transferringy of the lamps, which have had their lead wires straightened and threaded into bases, together with associated b-ases, to the part of the machine in which the basing is completed, the lamps tested, and the good ones separated from those which are inoperative.

The remainder of the machine is specifically described and claimed in a copending application, similarly entitled, and filed concurrently by the same inventors.

The conveyor of the basing machine The basing machine 45 has a housing 301 resting on the base or foundation 100 and in which the drive shaft 52 is journalled. Supported on this housing is an intermediate casting 302, which in turn supports a top casting 303 about which conveyor chain 63 moves. See Figs. 2, 3 and l0. The casting 303 carries a top rail 30d, an intermediate rail 305, and a bottom rail 306. The last of these rails has two 'bearing surfaces, a top bearing surface 307 for the lower rollers 308 which support the chain. 63, and a lateral bearing surface 309 on which the bottom rollers 311 ride.

The chain 63 (Fig. 3) is formed as a series of generally trapezoidal frames 312, each comprising an upper element 313, fromwhich outstands a boss 314 receiving a screw or other securing means for holding its lamp holder' 64 in place. Its lower element 315 has a pivot member 316 carrying its supporting roller 308, while its lower corners, or where the side sections 317 and 318 meet the bottom section 315, have outstanding bosses 319 and 321, which respectively receive screws or other securing means for holding its lamp holder 64 thereon.

The side section 318 has extending laterally therefrom "atraen bearing ears 322 and 323, spaced to receive therebetween the corresponding more Closely spaced ears 324 and 325 of the trapezoidal frame 312, to which it is directly connected by a pin 326. Each pin 32e carries on its ends a top roller 327 and a bottom roller 311. These rollers 327 and 311 travel on corresponding engaged rearwardly facing surfaces of the top rail 304i and bottom rail`36, respectively. Between each pair of ears 324 and 325 is an intermediate roller 328, which travels on a forwardly facing surface of the intermediate rail 305.

All of the rails are held in place on corresponding flanges of the top casting 303 (Fig. 2), as by means of set screws 310. Adjusting screws 320 are threaded into the webs of the tcp casting 303 and their outer ends engage the inner edges of the intermediate rail 305 to move it to a properly adjusted position, where the rollers 327, 32S and 311 are all held in engagement with their rails 304, 305 and 306. The rollers 327, 328 and 311 are of a diameter corresponding with the receiving notches 329 in the sprocketwheels 62 and 62' (Fig. l). The chain 63 is, therefore, driven as the sprocket wheel 62 is turned by a mechanism so that it indexes the lamp holders 64 carried thereby from station to station, in synchronism with the operation of the rest of the machine.

Each lamp holder 64 (Fig. l0) comprises a bulb-receiving centering and supporting member 331, having the general configuration of an inverted tripod, thereby providing three downwardly converging arms 332, the inwardly facing surfaces thereof affording a centering support for the bowl end of the bulb of a lamp. These arms are evenly spaced angularly of the axis, with the vangle between two arms toward the outer or front of the head, and the third arm directly toward the rear of the head. The spread of the front arms is conducive to most convenient introduction of a lamp assembly into the supporting member, as well as a discharge of the lamp therefrom after processing. Said centering and supporting member- 331 is xed, as by a shoulder 333 (Fig. 2) thereunder and a set screw 334 to the upper end of'a slide rod 335. The rod 335 is movable vertically in appropriately spaced bearing lugs 336 and 337 of the body member or casting 338 of each lampl holder 64. Each casting 338 is carried by one of the trapezoidal frames 312 (Fig. 3) each of which is a link of the chain 63, by means of the screws or other connecting means heretofore mentioned and passing through apertures in bosses thereof.

The rod 335 and its member 331 (Figs. 2, l0) are spring-biased upwardly in any convenient manner, as by means of an adjustably-mounted winged collar 339 on said rod between said bearing lugs 336 and'337. Said collar 339 has upward resilient pressure applied thereto by a coiled spring 341 encircling the rod 335 and resting on the lug 337. Adjustment of the-collar 339 may be obtained by the provision of a plurality of apertures in the rod through a selected one in which passes a pin 342. At one end of the pin may be provided a latch of any desired character to hold it from sliding out inadvertently. The pin is positioned to correspond with the size of the lamp to be supported.

As a further function of the winged collar 339, one of the Wings thereof, designated 343, has a forked outer end riding on a guide 344 parallel to the rod 335 to keep the collar and rod from rotating. The other wing carries a roller 346. The axis of the roller is perpendicular to the rod 33S. Said roller is engageable `by actuating mechanism to be subsequently described. An irnportant feature of the lamp holders 64 is the provision of means for receiving, locating, aligning and seating the base end of a lamp assembly. As 'the machine operates with the base ends of the lamps projecting upwardly, referencetothe upper end of the lamp is'synonomous with the base end thereof.

The vcasting 338 (Figs. 2, 3) is shaped generally as a segmental part f ar hollow cylindei coaxial with the axis of the rod 335 and projecting upwardly from the level of the upper lug 336. The upper end of the casting is anged, as indicated at 347, and on this flange is secured a cap 348. The front of the cap is cut-away to provide an opening permitting lateral introduction of the upper end of a lamp assembly. The inside face of the cap 348 is generally frustoconical or sloped from a bottom relatively large diameter to an upper smaller diameter. The front edges of this cap where cut away likewise slope so that the cut-away at the bottom of the cap is more than 180, whereas the cut-away at the top of the cap is less than 180. The diameter of the inside surface of the cap at its upper end approximates the diameter of the base, so that when the base approaches said upper end, it cannot fall forwardly out of the cap opening, and when the base is closer to the bottom of the cap, ,there is an opening large enough for insertion and removal in a lateral direction.

The upper end of the cap 348 has its inside surface formed as a continuation of the slope heretofore disclosed, and is of a dimension and shape to constitute a ledge 349 with which the end rim of a base comes into centered and seating engagement when the lamp assembly is pushed upwardly thereagainst. The cap is upward ly open withinvthe inner circumference of the ledge, so the center of the base is accessible for processing.

At station 1, the slide rod 335 is operated by a rod 351 (Fig. slidably mounted for vertical reciprocation in one groove 350 a duplex guide casting 352, supported by the housing 353 of the transfer and turnover mechanism 44. Both grooves of the casting are closed by a cover plate secured to the casting in any desired manner. This rod 351 carries a head 354, secured thereto as by means of a pin. This head has a lip which is` sequentially engaged by the rollers 346, as the lamp holders 64 index at station 1, whereby reciprocatiort of the rod 351 controls the elevation of the supporting member 331.

The lower end of the rod 351 is pivoted to the top of a connecting link 357 as indicated at 358. The lower' Baking, wire-positioning, fluxing, soldering and seasoning After an indexed lamp has had its side lead wire pulled out straight and the lamp, if necessary, adjusted so that said wire is exactly at the side, said lamp passes on. through stations 3 to 32 incl. where the basing cement is baked to permanently secure the base to thelamp bulb. As the lamps `reach station 35, the topf and side lead wires are guided to the proper positions. for subsequent processing. Upon reaching station 37, the top and side wires are .simultaneously cut off short.. At station 38, the side wire is pushed against the side of the base, while at this station through station 44' soldering burners are employed for heating the basesof lamps thereat. At station "39 the side wire is iiuxed. 'and at station "4l" it is soldered. At station 42, the. top wire is iluxed and at 44, said top wire is soldered. Upon reaching station "46 eachbulb is flashed or seasoned until reaching station 67.

The apparatus for etecting the flashing or seasoning;`

of lamps is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9, incl-: Seasoning electric current is introduced to each lamp 143, as it is indexed at the dashing or seasoning sta tions, by means of contacts 499 supported on, but insulated from, mounting levers 501. These levers are piv'- oted, as indicated at 502, to brackets 503 supported from a casting 510, in turn supported from the top r'al 304 carried by the top casting 303 Vof the basing machine 45, as by means of bolts. -Each lever 501 is biased so that its contact 499 is pressed into engagement with the center contact of an indexed lamp 143 as by means of a coil spring 504. Excess movement of each lever under spring action is prevented by a stop screw 505, threaded through arms 506 and 507 projecting from the bracket 503. Each stop screw is locked in adjusted position by means of set screw 508, which is adapted to pull the arms 506 and 597 together to prevent undesired stop screw movement. Current is introduced to the contacts 499, as by means of an insulated wire 509 connected thereto as by meansl of a screw 511. Y The contacts 499 each have angular bottom faces, as viewed most clearly in Fig. 9, so that each lamp 143 as it indexes rides under the contact member at the particular station yand elevates it to a slight extent against the action of its spring 504.

The contacts 512 for the return current from the lamps are as shown most clearly in Fig. 8. Each contact 512, like the contacts 499, is carried by a leverY 513 but not insulated therefrom. Each lever 513 is pivoted to a bracket 514, as indicated at 515, said brackets being also supported by the casting 510, as by means of bolts. Each lever 513 is biased by a coil spring 516, but restrained from undesired movement by means of a stop screw 517, threaded through arms 518 and 519, projecting from .the bracket 514, and locked in adjusted position as by meansY of a set screw 521. Y

It will, therefore, be understood that the contacts 512, being shaped like the contacts 499,V ride over the shells of vlamp bases as the lamps index at the seasoning stations. Said seasoning currentV thus passes at each seasoning station from a contact 499 to the center contact of an indexed lamp'143, through the filament, back from the shell of` said lamp to a contact 512, from whence it passes to the frame of the casting 510, grounded as indicated at 522. l

The mechanism for discharging lamps from the basing machine When the lamps are indexed at station 69, each successfully seasoned without failure is discharged from the basing machine 45 to a chute 523 (Figs. 2, 10). The .mechanism for effecting this discharge, as well as the `discharge of lamps with broken filaments or otherwise defective or open-circuited at the following station 70," to the chute 523, is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and l0.- At station 69 there is provided a rod 525 slidably mounted for vertical reciprocation in' a bracket 52.6 secured to the housing 301, as by means of bolts. This rod 525 has pivoted to its lower end a hook 527, as indicated at 528. Thehook is biased into latching engagement with a slide rod 529 having a hooked upper end 531, as by means of a coil spring 532.

Under normal conditions, the rod 525 reciprocates to pull down on the roller 346 which rides under the lip 533 of its head 534, secured thereto as by meansrof a set screw 53), and release a lamp supported by the member 331 of a lamp holder 64 indexed thereat. This allows said lamp to be discharged at station 69 into the chute 523 by means of a blast of air from the nozzle 535 at station 69 aaginst the upper end of the lamp neck, through aperture 536 in the cap 348. lRestriction of the blast of air to that part of the cycle, Where discharge of a lamp 143 is desired, is effected by a cam (not shown) or turned thereby, acting to open a valve in the air line to nozzles 535 at both of the stations 69 and 70. This releasing action is effected by a crank 537 fixed on the operating shaft 362, the free end of which is pivoted to the slide rod 529, guided in a bracket 546 secured to; the base of the machine as by means amados of bolts, as indicated at 538. It will be understood that the shaft 362 is oscillated by means vof the cam 366 onv the-shaft 52. Y

If the lamp is defective, oscillation of the rod^525 (Figs. 2, 10) is prevented by a release of the hook 527 by means of a solenoid 539. The armature 541 of the solenoid is connected to the normally horizontal arm 542 of a bulb crank lever 550, as by means of a pivot 543, through the intermediary of a link 54d. The lower end of said link is directly pivoted to the armature, as indicated at 545. The bell-crank lever 559 is pivoted to the bracket 546, as by means of a pivot 54a?, and its other arm 548 carries a pin 549 slidable in a slot 551 in the hook 527.

Thus upon an inoperative lamp indexing at station 68 to station 69, the solenoid 539 (Fig. 9) is energized to disengage the hook 527 from the hooked upper end of the slide 529, against the action of the spring 532. The slide rod 525 is thus released and moved upward by action of the coil spring 552 on a stud 553 carried thereby. .The upper end of said spring is anchored to a stud 554 on the bracket 526. By virtue of this operation, a bad lamp is not discharged at station 69 but allowed to be carried to station 70. There is a slide rod 555 (Fig. 10) at station 70, similar to the slide rod 525, and carrying a lipped head 556 which pulls down on the roller 346 and there releases the bad lamp 143, which as hereinbefore described was not freed at station 69. The rod 555 is operated by means of a link 557, the upper end of which is pivoted to the lower end of the rod 555, as indicated at 558,' and the lower end of which is pivoted to a crank 559 fixed on the operating shaft 362, as indicated at 561 and driven during each dwell period of the indexing cycle by a cam (not shown but similar to cam 366, Fig. 9) on the cam shaft 52, regardless of whether a lamp 143 is present at station 70 or not.

The control circuits for detecting bad lamps The circuits controlling the detection and separation of bad lamps from good lamps are illustrated in Fig. 1l. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the sequence of operation of the cam-controlled switches 576, 588, 589 and 599 of said circuits. The cams controlling said switches are mounted on a cam shaft 73 (Fig. l1).

There are two sources of power for the circuits of Fig. ll, a relatively high voltage source 562, which may be 220 volts, and a relatively low voltage source 563, which may be 1l() volts. Adapted to be energized from the high voltage source are the primary windings 564 and 565 of transformers 566 and 567 through an adjustable impedance or voltage divider S68. 'Ille circuit to these windings is through a normally-open lampcontrolled switch 5&4 and a normally-open contact 585 of relay 586. The secondary winding 569 is to energize a detector circuit through a lamp when indexed at station 68. In other words, a line 571 from this winding may go to a contact 512 at said station and a line from contact 499 at said station may be connected to a standard resistor 572 through line 573. Said resistor 572 is connected through an Vadjustable standard resistor 574 to the secondary winding 575 of transformer 567.

These circuits from the secondary windings 569 and 575 form part of a Wneatstone bridge which also comprises a circuit including normally-open switch 576 adapted to be closed by cam 577 on the cam shaft 73, after a lamp M3 has indexed at position 68 and said shaft has turned through the angle represented in Fig. l2, that is, more than 90. Upon closing of the switch 576, a circuit may be initiated if the resistance of the lamp T143, detected at station 68, does not balance the standard resistors 572 and 574, as it would if in normal condition. In other words, if the lamp at station 68 is of abnormal resistance or open circuited, a circuit is established upon closing of vthe switch l576 through line-57S, normally-closed contact 579 of overload'releasel relay 583, adjustable resistor 581i and relay 582 in parallel, tothe mid-point between secondary windings 569' and 575. Theoverload release relay 583 is also provided to open contact 579, as a protection to relay 582, in case anzexcessive voltage is developed upon closing the switch576.

Starting with a position where a lamp 143 has reached station "68 and the thereby lowered slide rod 335'of its lamp holder 64 hasclosed switch 584, normally-open contact 5&5 is closed by relay 536 when cam 587`closes its switch 58S, immediately after indexing and until the next indexing position is reached, as indicated by Fig. l2. rThis action connects the transformers S66 and 567 for energizing the above-described detecting circuits.

At station "68, when the switch 588 is closed immediately after indexing, the normally-closed switch 589, operated by cam 591, is also in closed position. This means that the solenoid 592 is energized, only if there is a bridge unbalance causing closing of the normallyopen contact 596 by relay SSZ, with resultant'closing both of the normally-open contacts 593 and S94 of the relay 592. Now-closed contact 593 establishes 'a holding circuit by shorting the contact 590 of the relay 582 to maintain the relay 592 energized and the closing of the contact 59d establishes a circuit to the relay v595 ready to close the normally-open contacts 596 and 597 to energize the solenoid 539 controlled thereby, when the cam 59S closes the switch 599. At station 69, the cam 598, immediately after indexing, momentarily closes'its switch 599 and energizes solenoid 539 to linsure that abad lamp so detected isnot discharged at station 69, but rather retained for discharge 'at station 70. Upon the cams turning a little further, normally closed switch 539 is opened by cam 591, thus deenergizingrelay 592, opening contact 593 and breaking the holding circuit with resultant restoration of the contacts 594, 596 and 597 to starting position.

lt will thus be seen that a good lamp upon reaching station 68 is discharged at the next station by virtue of the fact that the bridge circuit through relay 582is not energized, whereby the solenoid 539 remains deencrgizedl However, if the lamp at station 68 is defective, such as being open circuited or otherwise abnormal, so that its resistance docs not balance the standard resistors 572 and 574, a circuit is put in condition for being established at station 69 by means of cam 598 energizing the solenoid 539, for preventing discharge of the bad lamp until it reaches station 70.

Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In combination for a lamp basing machine: a lamp having a filament and internal electrical connections;

means for clamping said lamp; means having a standardy resistance and electrically connected with said lamp for comparing the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp with said standard resistance; means operatively connected to said clamping means for unclamping said clamping means to free said lamp; and means connected to said unclamping means and controlled by said comparing means for maintaining said unclamping means in an operative position to prevent freeing of said lamp from said clamping means, said comparing means being operable to cause energization of said maintaining means when the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp do not balance the standard resistance.

2. ln combination for a lamp basing machine; a lamp i 9 means for unclamping said clamping means to free said lamp; means disposed adjacent said clamping means for ejecting said freed lamp from said clamping means; and means connected to said unclamping means and electrically connected with said comparing means for maintaining said unclamping means in an operative position to prevent freeing of said lamp from said clamping means, said comparing means being operable to cause energization of said maintaining means when the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp do not balance the standard resistance.

3. In combination for a lamp basing machine; a lamp having a filament and internal electrical connections; means for clamping said lamp and having a resiliently mounted lamp supporting portion; means having a standard resistance and electricallyl connected with said lamp for comparing the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp with said standard resistance; means operatively connected to said supporting portion for unclamping said clamping means to free said lamp; means disposed adjacent said clamping means for ejecting said freed lamp from said clamping means; and means connected to said unclamping means and controlled by said comparing means for maintaining said unclamping means in an inoperative position to prevent freeing of said lamp from said clamping means, said comparing means being operable to cause energization of said maintaining means when the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp do not balance the standard resistance.

4. In combination for a lamp basing machine: a lamp having a lilament and internal electrical connections; means for clamping said lamp and having a resiliently mounted lamp supporting portion; means having a standard resistance and electrically connected with said lamp for comparing the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp with said standard resistance; means operatively connected to said clamping means for unclamping said clamping means to free said lamp, said unclamping means comprising a first rod in engagement with said lamp supporting portion and slidably mounted for reciprocation, a slide rod in latching engagement with said firstrod, and means for reciprocating said slide rod; and means connected to said unclamping means and controlled by saidcomparing means for unlatching said first rod to prevent freeing of said 4lamp from said clamping means, said comparing means being operable to cause energization of said unlatching means when the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp do not balance the standard resistance.

5. In combination for a lamp basing machine: a lamp having a filament and internal electrical connections; vmeans for clamping said lamp and having a resiliently mounted lamp supporting portion; means having a standard resistance and engageable with said lamp forcomparing the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp with said standard resistance; means operatively connected to said clamping means for unclamping said clamping means to free said lamp, said unclamping means comprising a rst rod in engagement with said lamp supporting portion and slidably mounted for reciprocation, a slide rod in latching engagement with said irst rod, and means for reciproeating said slide rod; means disposed adjacent said clamping means for ejecting said freed lamp from said clamping means; and means connected to said unclamping means and controlled by said comparing means for unlatching said first rod to prevent freeing of said lamp from said clamping means, said comparing means being operable to cause energization of said unlatching means when the resistance of the filament and internal electrical connections of said lamp do not balance the standard resistance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Flaws et al. Sept. 29, 1953 

